Waiting

This morning I woke up around 3:30am.  At which point I could not fall back asleep.  So I laid there praying about various things, mainly, please God, let me go back to sleep!  Then I started thinking about my little blog.  I was thinking how I have wanted to focus on the things God wants me to focus on.  I want to write Christian issues truthfully by His standards, but also realistically how I may or may not be living them.  My thoughts drifted to waiting.  After my first blog, I felt like I should wait on the Lord to give me a topic.  At 3:30 in the morning, this is what came to me; I am waiting on the Lord, but I have not asked him for guidance.  Therefore, what exactly am I waiting for?  The last two weeks have been busy.  That is code for; I have not regularly read or prayed.  It occurred to me, that I have not consulted HIM on what my next topic should be.  

As I lay awake, I kept thinking what an interesting topic WAITING is.   Maybe waiting is what my topic should be.  Waiting can be tricky because it involves listening.    If you are familiar with my mindset then you know I am not an excellent listener.  If I am to wait on the Lord, this implies a few things on my part.  One it implies that I have asked the Lord for something.  Secondly, it also implies that I am listening for an answer.  Both of the implications I am afraid to say I have failed for this week.  On the other hand, I also think waiting is tricky because it can be an excuse.  Sometimes, you can be caught waiting, and it is for nothing other than fear of doing.  Or sometimes you can be waiting when the Lord is clearly telling you to go somewhere you do not want to go, so you ignore the “voice in your head.”

This morning Mackenzi said to me, “Mommy, waiting is hard!”  I laughed to myself because I thought,” Aha, confirmation that this is the topic?”  After all, in the middle of the night I had pondered the skills of waiting.  So much like a “Casual Christian”, I have decided to “Google” my way through what the word says about waiting.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Psalm 130:5 wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word, I put my hope. 

Isaiah 30:18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for him!

Lamentations 3:24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

  

My pastor once said that if you want to hear the voice of God, read His word and you will hear him.  I admit that I have not been faithful about that recently.    Although the combination of the verses taken out of their context and used in my own context of waiting I can conclude a few things.

First, when asked, the Lord hears our questions.  Second, the Lord is gracious and compassionate in his timing of the answer.  Thirdly, there is hope in His word/ His answer.  The Lord will often provide an answer that seems not to be an answer at all, but it always works out for the best. 

Lastly, and most importantly, the Lord is enough.  I love the phrase,” The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait on him.”  I love the courage of the phrase, the act of completely relying on Him for everything.   Now if I can just be more consistent in my waiting on the Lord, and making him my portion.